No Way
by heapofashesthatiam
Summary: The Morgensterns aren't your typical blended family. Jace and Clary, rivals since kindergarten, are now being forced not only to share a house, but a bedroom as well. What could go wrong? Or even more unexpected, what could go right?
1. Chapter 1

"There is no way in hell I'm sharing my room with him!" Clary yelled at her dad from across the restaurant table. Clary, her dad, his new wife Celine, and her son Jace were all out to dinner celebrating the newlywed's return from their honeymoon. An occasion like this was supposed to be a happy one, but the dinner's conversation went downhill very quickly when Clary's father decided to discuss the new living arrangements.

"Language Clarissa!" her father scolded her, obviously surprised at his daughter's outburst. Clary wasn't usually the kind of girl to yell back at her father, let alone curse.

"Although I hate to say this, I'm going to have to agree with your daughter Mr. Morgenstern. I'll be more than happy to sleep on the couch. There's no need for me to intrude," Jace answered in the calm and smooth tone he used only around adults when he was trying to get his way. It pissed Clary off that Jace could manipulate people the way he did, but she bit her tongue realizing that, tonight, it might actually work in her favor. Jace didn't want to share a room with her anymore than she did with him.

"Jace, I will not have you sleeping on a couch until we find a better home. An athlete and student like you needs a goodnight sleep every night. You and Clary will just have to get over this stupid rivalry of yours," Valentine told Jace, while shooting a pointed look at Clary. Clary didn't know why her father called their rivalry stupid. She had plenty of reasons, valid reasons to hate Jace Wayland. He was an arrogant, womanizing, narcissistic asshat that had made it his mission to terrorize her everyday since kindergarten. Clary had no idea why Jace hated her so much but he had made it very clear, on a daily basis, that their feelings were mutual.

Clary opened her mouth to tell her father that Jace could sleep in the street for all she cared, when she felt Jace kick her from under the table. She looked in his direction prepared to give him a look that could kill, and instead caught him mouthing the words; _I'll handle this just trust me_. Clary nodded at him discreetly, deciding that if this went wrong he could be the one to blame for it, not her.

"Mr. Morgenstern, Clary and I put our rivalry in the past while you and my mom were in Idris on your honeymoon. In fact, we're very close now aren't we Clary?" he asked me while tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. Clary tried not to flinch away from his touch but she couldn't help it. "Hey, there's no need to be shy about our new relationship, I'm sure they'll understand." Jace told her, his voice dripping with false adoration.

"What relationship?" Valentine asked, voicing Clary's own thoughts.

"Well, a romantic one," Jace told Valentine. "Very romantic, right Clary? I can't wait until we have that bedroom all to ourselves." Jace whispered into her ear, just loud enough for Celine and Valentine to hear. Even though Clary knew what Jace was doing, she couldn't help but grimace in disgust, and her father noticed.

"Jace!" Celine scolded her son for such an inappropriate comment.

"Its okay Celine, he's lying. Look at the way Clary's glaring at him. Its obvious they aren't together. Oh and Jace if you I ever hear you say something like that to my daughter again, or if anything other than sleeping takes place in your shared room, I will personally chop off both of your testicles, freeze them, and then tie them back on so I can you hang you upside down from them. Then I'll force feed you peas and make you watch Nicholas Sparks movies on repeat for the rest of your life. Understand?" Valentine finished, his voice deadly serious. Jace nodded while trying to keep his eyes from bugging out of his head. Clary, enjoying Jace's discomfort, snickered and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Good, now if you two are getting along well by the time we move into the new house, we'll put in an art and music room for the two of you." Celine told the teenagers.


	2. Authors Note

Sorry if you thought this was an update, but this is my first fanfic and I'm still trying to get the hang of things. For now, I'll be posting chapters daily. Please review, because all feedback is helpful!


	3. Chapter 2

**Workitfeirce: Jace and Clary just became STEPSIBLINGS because Clary's dad married Jace's mom a month or so ago. Celine and Jace are moving in with the Morgensterns until the couple finds a larger house.**

"Nice room Clary, the teddy bears add a nice touch," Jace smirked at her as he pushed his way passed her into her room. Well, it used be her room, now it was theirs.

"Shut up Jace, his name is Theodore, he's way too sophisticated for a name like Teddy. Like you would know anything about sophistication anyways," Clary said.

"Well, I like nicknames and I'm gonna call him Teddy, just like I call you Little Red," Jace told her as he began jumping on his bed.

"Jace, get down from there!" Clary scolded him, as if he was nine year old boy, instead of a fully grown 17 year old. Jace jumped off of the bed and landed directly in front her.

"The beds pretty sturdy Little Red, I was just checking how much fun it could withstand." Jace said, putting extra emphasis on the word fun while he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Jace, you're disgusting. Can't you go five minutes without making some kind of innuendo?" Clary asked, exasperated.

"No, I can't go five minutes without my innuendos. I like them. And you know I'm not disgusting, I'm gorgeous." Clary hated that Jace was right. It was more of a fact than an opinion that Jace was attractive. He looked like a male model straight out of a magazine, with his golden, purposely-disheveled hair, his glittering amber eyes, his tall solid figure, and his perfectly tanned skin. Not to mention his trademark smirk that had girls fainting, literally. And his smile…

"Hello? Red?" Clary snapped out of it to realize that Jace was smirking while he waved his hand in front of her face, which turned bright red, realizing she had been caught staring. "I was afraid I had charmed you with such force, you were struggling to remember your own name," he taunted her.

"Not charmed, more like appalled," Clary told him as she shoved his chest, but of course he was rock solid and held his ground. "Could you be anymore arrogant?" Clary continued, frustrated. " You know what? This is pointless. I AM going to get that art room when we move, so we ARE going to get along, Ok? Here's a list of rules from my dad that we have to follow." She said, handing him a piece of paper off of her desk. Jace decided to read them off out loud.

"One: Get Along. Two: Keep the room clean. Three: No friends or significant others allowed in the room. (Jace this means you.) Four: Respect each other's space and belongings. Five: Lights out at eleven."

"That won't be too hard will it Jace? I'll try if you will?" Clary asked him.

"I don't know Little Red, I hate following rules…." Jace started.

"Do you want that music room or not?" Clary interrupted him. Jace nodded and Clary stuck out her hand, "Truce then, just so we can get that room?" Jace laughed, ignoring her outstretched.

"I'm not going to shake your hand Clary, and I'm never going to make peace with you. Its way too much fun fighting with you, and making you feel inferior. But I will promise to try to get along with you if my mom or your dad is around. Other than that, I'll continue my quest to make your life awful, and due to our living arrangements, I'll have many more chances to." Jace said in cheery voice, as if the thought of terrorizing her 24/7 brought him joy. As Jace started jumping on his bed again, Clary couldn't help but think that this was going to be an awful senior year, and school started tomorrow.

**Well this was Chapter Two! Let me know what you thought. I promise to continue posting chapters daily.**


	4. Author's Note

**Hey guys, sorry this isn't an update. I came down with some kind of illness yesterday and I'm dealing with finals so I haven't been able to write. Expect an update tomorrow. I promise not to give up on this story!**


	5. Chapter 3

So, since I broke my promise to post daily like the terrible person that I'm not, I'm going to update twice today

**XxCalixx: Thank you so much! You have no idea how much it means to me that you think I write well. Also, I love your Clace oneshots.**

**CLACEshipper: I'm so glad you love my story and thank you for the compliments!**

**Guests: I promise to both keep up the good work and update. Thanks!**

**Tris eaton wayland: I promise!**

**Kykat: Jace and Clary's rivalry isn't just stupid banter. It's actually deeper than that, which I'll get into as the story continues. Jace believes he has good reason to make Clary feel inferior.**

Clary had just put her car in reverse and was backing out of the driveway when she heard a knock on her window. She threw the car in park, and turned to see Jace standing outside the passenger seat's door. Clary rolled down the window, while rolling her eyes.

"What do you want?" She asked him, rolling her eyes again.

"You have to take me to school. You're my new personal chauffeur." Jace told her, wearing his ever-present smirk. Clary had to share her room and her car now with the asshat. She had never hated her father for anything, but she sure was coming close.

"Are you sure your ego can fit in my tiny car?" Clary asked him with her smirk of her own, gesturing at her little red Sonic.

"Clary, let me in the fucking car!" Jace said, clearly becoming frustrated.

"I think you missed the magic word, Jace."

"PLEASE let me in the fucking car?" Jace asked, and Clary felt like she had won a small victory.

` "Okay, but only because you said please," Clary shot him a condescending smile while unlocking the door. Jace just shot her a dirty look and climbed in, buckling his seat belt. They spent the drive to school fighting over the radio.

When Jace and Clary arrived at school, they only had approximately three minutes to get to their homerooms. Clary headed in one direction and Jace in the other. Clary's best friends, Isabelle and Simon were already seated in the trio's homeroom when Clary walked in.

"Clary!" Simon called, and Clary walked over to the two, who had been dating since the last day of school last year.

"What's up guys?" Clary asked, smiling.

"Oh you know, just talking about you," Isabelle said.

"Really? What about me?" Clary asked, curious.

"Oh, just the fact that your least favorite person in the whole world can now watch you in his sleep." Simon answered.

"Ugh, Simon, don't say it like that. You make it sound worse than it already is." Clary complained. Isabelle opened her mouth to say something else, but their homeroom teacher Mrs. Shaw walked in and called for everyone to take their seats. Mrs. Shaw was mean lady in her thirties who hated children and looked like a witch. Clary had her suspicions that the lady did actually live in a house made of candy. Thank God she only had her for homeroom.

"Schedules," Mrs. Shaw grunted while she passed the kids schedules for their first trimester out. As soon as she got hers, Clary turned around to compare schedules with Isabelle and Simon. Much to her dismay, Isabelle and Simon had three out of the five classes with each other, but Clary only had one with Simon and none with Isabelle. At least they all had the same lunch. When the bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom, Clary said goodbye to her friends and headed to her first hour, Pre-Calc.

Clary hated math, but she hated it a hundred times more when she saw who else was in her class. Jace Wayland, surrounded by his very own fangirls and laughing at some bimbo's loud and unbearable story about shopping for shoes. Clary just rolled her eyes, which she had been doing a lot of lately, and took a seat at the front of the room, as far away from Jace as she get. Finally, the teacher, Mr. Clark, arrived in class and told everyone to quiet down so he could read off a seating chart. Clary was directed to a seat by the window, in front of Maia Roberts, a tough girl who Clary had talked to last year during Economics.

Clary, lost in a conversation with Maia about the summer, was startled to find Jace sitting in the desk right next hers. She tried to ignore him and keep listening to Maia talk about Cedar Point but he just butted right into their conversation.

"Hey Red, look like we'll get to spend more time together than we already do," Jace said to her as if they were best friends. Maia looked at Clary, with a confused expression on her face.

"Wait, Clary Morgenstern and Jace Wayland hanging out? I thought you hated him Clary." Maia said.

"I do hate him Maia. And we do NOT hangout." Clary told her, her voicing rising a bit.

"No, we don't hang out. Just sleep together." Jace told Maia, a smirk forming on his annoyingly perfect face. Clary felt her face turn red when she realized what Jace was eluding Maia to believe.

"He's my step-brother now Maia, and we have to share a room. And if anything I hate him more." Clary spat out, directing the last part at Jace.

"Well good luck with that Clary." Maia said.

"Thanks Maia, I'm going to need it." Clary told her.

"Yes she is." Jace smirked again before turning back towards the board.


	6. Chapter 4

**Here is the second update today as promised! Jace's POV**

** 701: Thanks so much! And expect some Clace moments in the future.**

**RayOfSunshineXOXO: That was my favorite part of the chapter too. Thanks for liking my story.**

Clary and Jace had all five classes together. ALL FIVE! And they sat next to each other in three of them. Jace didn't know if he could handle listening to Clary's high pitched condescending remarks about him all day everyday for the rest of the trimester.

Thank God, he had football practice after school everyday or he'd be with her 24/7. Gosh, why couldn't his mom have married someone else? Valentine was good to his mom, but he still scared the crap out of Jace. Those Nicolas Sparks threats? He'd never been more afraid in his life? Add living with his nemesis on top of that, and Jace had never wished more to be living with just his mom again.

With thoughts like this running through his head, Jace headed to the football field. If anything could calm him down, it was football. Heading into the locker room, Jace waved to his teammates, highfiving his good friends Sebastian Verlac, Bat Valquez, and Jordan Kyle. Jordan and Maia had been a couple since sophomore year, and seemed pretty happy.

As Jace dialed the combination on his locker, Sebastian came up beside him.

"So Jace, I heard you're shacking up with that pretty little redhead in our history class."

"She's my step-sister Sebastian, and it's not like that. It will NEVER be like that. She annoys the hell out of me," Jace told Sebastian.

"I know bro, you two have hated each other since like kindergarden. But it doesn't change the fact that she's smoking hot. I think I'm going to take her out." Sebastian said.

"Why? So you can sleep with her and then break her heart?" Jace asked, only realizing that he made it sound like he cared about Clary, after the words had left his lips. Why? He hated Clary. Why did it matter to him that Sebastian would use her like all of his other "girlfriends"? Because Clary was his to bother, his to frustrate to no end. Jace had a reason for picking on Clary, but he would never go as far as to break her heart. That was just cruel, and he definitely wouldn't let Sebastian do it.

"Yeah that's usually the plan, hit it and quit," Sebastian laughed.

"Okay, well I doubt you'll get Clary in bed anyways. She's a stubborn bitch." Jace said, hoping to dissuade Sebastian from going after Clary.

"I like a challenge Jace, and every girl falls for me eventually. You understand that don't you?" Sebastian asked him, knowing that his tall, dark, and handsome look worked just as well on the ladies as Jace's golden boy ones did.

"Yeah, well she hasn't fallen for me yet, Seb," Jace told him.

"All the more reasons to deflower Clary then, I'll be considered the most wanted guy in school. A title I won't have to share with you anymore," Sebastian joked, smiling and winking as if Clary's virginity was all part of a game. The thought made him sick, and his first thought was that he had to warn Clary.

"Good luck with that Seb," Jace told him halfheartedly before walking out of the locker room and onto the field.

Jace practiced awful. He couldn't keep his mind off of what Sebastian had said about Clary. Why did he care so much? He thought he hated her. But did he? If he actually HATED her, he wouldn't have given a single thought to Sebastian's plan. So, maybe he didn't hate her, but he knew for sure that he didn't like her. How could he like someone who had said what she did? He'd held the grudge since fifth grade and remembered the moment like it was just yesterday.

_It was Mrs. Brown's fifth grade class, and Jace and Clary were in the middle of one of the usual stupid arguments that they had been having since kindergarten. They were both laughing, and it was obvious there was nothing malicious behind their banter. Well, there wasn't until Clary said it, the four words that had made him hate her everyday after that. The words that still rang clearly in his head._

_ "You're so selfish Jace," sure she had said it with a smile on her face, but it wasn't the way she said it, it was the memories that the word _selfish_ brought back, that had upset Jace. Selfish was the word his mom used the most often to his describe his father. His father, who was never around. His father, who was always at work. His father, who had cheated on his mom on a nightly basis. His father, who lived a life of luxury while only giving his wife and son the bare minimum. His father, who his mom had finally divorced. His father, who was never even his father, but only Stephen Herondale._

_ Unknowingly, Clay had compared him to his father. The worst thing she could do. The memories brought hot, angry, tears to his eyes, and the rest of the class started to laugh at him. Jace ran out of the room before his tears could fall, and vowed to make Clary regret calling him selfish._

Thinking of it now, Clary hadn't done anything wrong. She had just said the wrong thing without kowing. It had made total sense to hate her in his ten-year-old mind, but not his seventeen year old one. Wow, how could he have continued a rivalry so immature? Maybe he had forgotten what life was like without his hatred for Clary. It was all he knew, and that in itself was wrong.

He had to fix this. He had to talk to….Jace's thoughts were cut off as something slammed into his head and everything went black.

**Longest Chapter Yet! I need to know what you guys think about Jace's revelation. What do you think about Sebastian? Is his part in the story too cliche? Do you see any typos? What do you want to read? Do I NEED to do a disclaimer? Have I asked too many questions? **


	7. Chapter 5

Clary was just walking in the front door after studying with Izzy when her phone started ringing. Looking at the caller id, she was shocked to see her father's face. He never called her while he was at work. Knowing that he probably had to tell her something important, Clary braced herself for some kind of shocking news, and answered the iPhone.

"Hey, dad is everything ok?"

"No Clary, its not, Jace is at the hospital and Celine isn't getting any reception. I have no idea what's going on, but I don't want her being alone. Do you think you could stay with her until I can get to the hospital? I'm leaving work now, but it should be like a forty-five minute drive."

"Sure dad, I'm walking out the door right now," Clary told him, upset that she wouldn't get to eat like she wanted to.

"Great honey, tell Celine I love her when you get there, and see if your phone can get any reception. I'd like to know what's going on. Love you."

"Love you too dad. Bye." Clary climbed in the driver's seat of her car and realized that her hand was shaking as she tried to put the key in the ignition. Why the hell would her hand be shaking? Driving out of the neighborhood, Clary looked down to notice that she was driving 15mph over the speed limit. Clary never even drove _at_ the speed limit. What was wrong with her?She slowed the car down to the correct speed and took a deep breath.

Images of Jace, bloodied, and in a hospital bed flooded her mind, followed by those of him in a casket. The thoughts set her hands sweating, and her heart pounding so loud that, even with the windows rolled up, she swore the people in the car next to her could hear it. Why was she so worried about Jace? It was probably just a concussion, or a broken leg, or something like that right? Wait, why was she so worried about Jace, at all?

She hated him, right? Then why was she freaking out like this? She should hate him; he'd been so nasty to her since that day in fifth grade. Every moment after that, she recognized the cruelty in his voice, and the words he said, as a lot more hateful than their previous banter. Why had he suddenly started treating her like that? Gah, she didn't know, she had no idea. But, she did know, that right now, she had to focus on getting to the hospital.

Clary tried her hardest to concentrate on the road, as rain started to pour down, but her thoughts started to run wild again. She was worried and scared, and confused as to why she was worried and scared. Why did Jace have to be so damn confusing? Something had changed that day in fifth grade, and she knew it. Was there something going on with Jace at home? Was it something she had said to him? Was it a combination of the both? Was it nothing? Did Jace just decide that day that their banter wasn't enough? No, that couldn't be it. She remembered the look in his eyes as tears gathered. He was angry, sad, ashamed, and embarrassed all at once. Why though? And was whatever had made him cry the reason he hated her?

Clary didn't know, but she breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled into the hospital parking lot, glad that she could finally see Jace… and then she sighed in frustration as she realized that there were no parking lots near the doors, and she didn't have an umbrella.

The lady at the front desk told Clary that she could find Jace in Room 282. Walking there, the images of a badly injured Jace, or even a dead Jace, assaulted her mind again. Her breathing quickened, and her fist curled into balls as her imagination conjured up all of the worst things imaginable that could have happened to her nemesis. But was he her nemesis? As the confusion, fear, and worry started to spin into a huge ball of terrible thoughts, Clary started seeing black spots appear around the edges of her eyes. That was all she remembered before everything went black.

**I had writer's block last night, so I posted an Infernal Devices oneshot instead. You should check it out! Thank you all so much for supporting this story. Expect an update tomorrow, too. But, it will probably late like this one. I like writing at night so much better for some reason. Oh, and about the double cliffhanger, it wasn't planned, but just sort of happened. Sorry!**


	8. Chapter 6

**Okay, I know I didn't update on time and I know that makes me a jerk. I hate making excuses and such, but I do have a valid one, my cousin is getting married in a week and I'm a bridesmaid. I had no idea how much that would entail, but apparently it's a lot. I'll be busy almost everyday until then so I won't be able to promise daily updates anymore. :( I do promise however, to update whenever I get the chance. :)**

"Clary, Clary sweetie wake up," Valentine said, pushing his daughter's hair out of her face.

"Dad! Five more minutes," Clary mumbled into the white pillow. Wait, white? Clary's pillow case was green. Shooting to a sitting position, Clary opened her eyes to see that she was in a hospital room. Her dad was standing next to her sterile white bed with a smile on his face, and she had an IV in her arm. "What happened, Dad?"

"You were a little dehydrated and fainted on the way to see Jace, the nurses found you out cold in the hallway. Why didn't you tell me that you needed to eat?" Valentine asked her, fatherly concern on his face.

"I figured that making sure Jace was okay was important than a stupid snack. Like you said, Celine shouldn't be alone at the hospital with Jace injured. What happened to him anyway?" Clary asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but Valentine didn't miss the slight widening of her eyes and the quickening of her breath, while she inquired about her so called nemesis' welfare.

"He got hit pretty hard at practice and fell the wrong way. Nothing too serious though, just a broken arm and a minor concussion. His football season this year is over though. What a shame. Jace sure is a talented athlete." Valentine sighed, a dreamy look in his eyes, as if he was picturing Jace in the NFL.

"Dad, hello, daughter in hospital bed, here? You got any compliments for me?" Clary asked, a smile tugging at her lips while she tried to sound disappointed.

"Oh yes, Clary, you are an amazing artist, a record breaking klutz, and a darn good runner. Need I say more? Oh, and you are a kind compassionate person, putting the needs of others in front of your own. But seriously, just get that snack next time okay? Its not the best feeling in the world for a father to see his daughter in a hospital bed. Comprende?"

"Yes dad, I promise to be more careful okay? Is Jace still in his hospital bed?"

"Yep, I'm going to go check on him right now. Celine is checking you two out at the front desk, and the nurses are going to be here in a minute to take out your IV. Okay? Celine, Jace and I will be back here in a few minutes, so we can all leave. Bye sweetie." Valentine finished as he walked out the door.

"Hey sweetie, how are you feeling," A nurse walked into Clary's room not a second after her dad left.

"I'm fine, thanks," Clary said, shooting the woman smile.

"Okay, I'm just going to pull out your IV. It's going to hurt a bit. Just close your eyes okay?" The woman told Clary. Lies! It didn't hurt "a bit," it hurt like a bitch. After the IV was out, and Clary was plotting the nurse's demise, her family walked in.

"Well there's your family! You're free to go now Clary. Bye," the nurse said, getting up and walking out of the room. Her voice was extremely happy for someone who had just caused a girl such pain.

**Expect another post in the next hour!**


	9. Chapter 7

The ride home from the hospital was filled with conversation about Jace's lost football season. Oh, boohoo. No more tackling kids for a stupid brown ball. Clary tuned out the whole conversation and turned up her headphones. She'd rather listen to Fall Out Boy than think about why she had really fainted. There was more to it than just dehydration. She had been worried about.. No, she didn't want to think about that right now, so she turned her music up louder, hoping that her thoughts would take the hint and get lost.

Clary was halfway through the Save Rock and Roll soundtrack when Jace plucked her headphones out of her ears. He had the truck door opened and had his hand held out, to help her climb out of her father's big black F-150.

"Come on Red, we're home," Jace smiled at her. Smiled! What the hell was this? Where was the trademark smirk? And when she looked in his eyes, she was shocked to find the normal hatred there was lacking. It was completely gone. Instead, he looked at her with something like hope and regret. "Little Red? Are you gonna get out of the car?" Jace asked her, still smiling. His words snapped her out of it, and she just nodded, and took his hand. Surprisingly, Jace carefully helped her down, and even kept his hand on her back all the way into the house, and into their bedroom. Curious as to why, Clary looked to find she was still a little unsteady. Jace took his hand off of Clary's back as she attempted to climb into her bed. Embarrassed, Clary realized she couldn't do it, and looked at Jace, waiting for one of his smartass comments. But one didn't come, Jace just nodded, reached out, and picked Clary up bridal style, gently laying her on her green polka dotted bedspread.

"Thanks Jace, but you didn't have to do that, I mean you do have a broken arm," Clary said, realizing that this was the first time she had ever said "thank you" to Jace Herondale.

"Don't worry about me Ginger, they gave me some pretty amazing pain meds at the hospital." Jace laughed.

"CLARY, COME GET SOMETHING TO EAT, THE NURSE SAID YOU HAD TO GET SOME FOOD IN YOU," Celine yelled from the kitchen.

"I'll go get you something, Strawberry. Stay here, I'll be right back," Jace said, smiling at her, again, before he left. Why was Jace being so nice to her? It had to have been the concussion. Right! But, would that wipe the hate right out of his eyes? Because it was completely gone. She had never heard of a concussion turning a person nice before. What else could it be though? Clary didn't know, but she sure as hell wasn't going to ask Jace about it. She'd just enjoy it while it lasted. Which hopefully was long, because tonight was the first night Jace would be sleeping in her room. The Herondales had closed on their house yesterday, while Jace and her were fighting.

"Here Clary, I brought you an amazing ham and cheese sandwich, and an expertly diced apple," Jace said, walking into their room, holding the plate in one hand like he was some type of waiter. He handed Clary her food, and then plopped down on his own, plain white comforter.

"Thanks Jace, for everything," Clary said, while trying not to shove the food down her throat. She hadn't realized how hungry she was, until food was presented to her.

"No problem, Spitfire. There's nothing more fulfilling than helping a damsel in distress," he joked, the trademark smirk reappearing on his face. But once again, Clary was shocked to notice the lack of hatred in his eyes and tone of voice. He sounded like the boy she had lightheartedly argued with in elementary school.

"Hey, watch it Herondale. I'm not a damsel in distress," Clary told him, trying to sound stern, but barely managing to stifle a laugh.

"Come on Shortcake, let me have my moment as a night in shining armor. Please!"

"Thank you Lord Herondale, for your valiant services. Please take this handkerchief as a token of my gratitude," Clary managed to get through between fits of laughter, as she balled up her napkin, and threw it at his head.

"Lady Morgenstern, I will cherish this token forever." Jace played along, clutching the napkin to his chest.

"Lord Herondale, I do believe I need to retire this evening. The days events were so distressing. May I call on you tomorrow?"

"I would be honored Lady Morgenstern." Jace said quietly, as he turned the lights off and pulled the covers up over his head.

**So, I just realized that in the previous chapters, I wrote Jace's last name as Wayland. Disregard that, it's Herondale. Jace isn't adopted or anything. So sorry for the confusion!**


	10. Chapter 8

**Hey guys, I'm back. Wedding are so freaking busy. I've barely been at home in the past few days, and the wedding isn't until Friday!**

**Anyways, I have a few questions about No Way. Do you feel like I rushed things? I mean they were already getting along before the first night Jace had to sleep in Clary's room. I think I should have focused on their hatred a little longer. Well, I'm new at this. Better luck next time, right? Don't worry, I'll still continue writing No Way, but I have a new idea too. It came to me in a dream. How cliché right?**

**Oh, and I took one of those stupid Play Buzz quizzes today. What hero/heroine are you? I thought it would be like Wonderwoman or something like that. But then, I had a total fangirl moment when it said I was Clary Fray. I still haven't minimized the website! If I'm Clary Fray, then when is my Jace showing up? Now would be great! Well, I just had to share that. Now on to the story.**

Clary woke up the next morning, on the second day of her senior year, to her alarm blaring Paramore's "Ain't it Fun." She murmured something completely unintelligible, and slammed her hand down on the snooze button, completely prepared to go back to sleep. Celine had been sporadically bursting into her room all night to check on Jace and his concussion. She was just drifting off again when her nose caught a whiff of something heavenly. Bacon! But who would be cooking? Celine and Valentine both had to leave for work at five thirty for their long commutes and it was already six. Clary rolled over to ask Jace, but realized that he wasn't in his bed. _Jace_, Clary thought, remembering how things had changed between the two of them last night. Maybe, just maybe things would be that way again today. But she could only hope. Gathering her courage, Clary climbed out of bed, and slowly made her way to the bedroom door. Preparing herself for the worst, or perhaps the best, Clary turned the knob, and made her way to the kitchen.

"Well if it isn't Princess Merida herself. I never knew your hair could get that out of control, unless that isn't your hair at all, and is instead some kind of live animal taking up residency on your head," Jace laughed, with a smile. Once again, Clary noticed his smile taking the place of his evil smirk. The usual hatred in his eyes was replaced with laughter, and even his voice had lost its condescending tone. "I made us breakfast!" he continued. That was it; Clary just couldn't stand the curiosity anymore. She had to know why his attitude toward her had changed so abruptly. Sitting down at the table, Clary looked at Jace seriously, while trying not to laugh at the gestures he was making at her hair.

"Jace, why are you being so nice to me?" she asked, and the second the words left her mouth, his stupid gesticulations stopped. He seemed to think really hard before answering, as he set a plate of bacon and an English muffin down in front of her.

"I'm not being nice to you Ginny. I'm still making fun of you like I always have. Still trying to make you miserable," he told her, but it was obvious that his heart wasn't in it.

"Cut the crap Jace, the hate, its gone from your eyes, from your voice. Something has changed, and I know it. You're acting like you did before…before that day in fifth grade. Why?"

"I just think we've hated each other long enough. Don't you? I don't want to share a room with someone I hate. I figured we could try to get along," Jace told her, but she didn't believe it for a second.

"You can't just decide to not hate someone anymore, Jace. It doesn't work like that. You don't have to tell me why you're being so nice, as long as you don't go back to hating me again okay? And when you feel ready to talk to me about what happened on that day in fifth grade, or why you became friendly Jace again, I'll be here okay?" and with that off of her chest, Clary finished her last piece of bacon and made her way to the bathroom to get ready for school.

When Clary hopped off of the bus, because her car was still in the hospital parking lot, crowds of people swarmed both her and Jace. Jace was surrounded by his teammates, and his fangirls, while Clary was simply rushed by Simon and Isabelle. They both tackled her in a bear hug, while Isabelle rambled on and on about how worried she was about her, and how she would have made her look great in the casket if she died, and how green was definitely her funeral color, but she was so glad she didn't have to dress up a Clary corpse and….

"ISABELLE!" Clary yelled over her best friend's crazy bumbling. "I didn't die yesterday, but I might now if you two don't get off of me, so my airways can open back up." The two released Clary from their death grip, just as the warning bell rang. Why did the bus always have to be so late? Clary would just have to fill Simon and Isabelle in later on what was going on with Jace.

"I'll talk to you guys later, I have to get to math class, okay?" Clary said as she waved to her best friends.

"Goodbye Clary," they yelled simultaneously, and then laughed at each other. They really were just the cutest, yet most unexpected couple. Who would have guessed that supermodel like Isabelle, with her gorgeous black hair, curves, and porcelain skin, would end up with a nerdy, glasses wearing, shy guy, who played Dungeons and Dragons.

Walking to her first hour class, with her mind on Simon and Isabelle, Clary felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist from behind. Turning, her head she was shocked to see Sebastian Verlac, one of the most popular guys in school. But according to stories from his exes, the guy was a real tool.

"Hey Clary, you and me, date, tomorrow night. I'll pick you up by seven. Oh and Clary?" he whispered the last part in her ear, his voice low and husky. If he weren't such an ass, Clary would have probably found it sexy. "Wear something sexy." And then, he let go of her waist and strolled away.

Whatever, he could just show up at her house at seven then. She'd just tell him to leave, and probably throw in a few choice words of her own. It wasn't like he had even asked her out, it was more like some kind of order, and Clary did not respond well to being told what to do.

She ran into class with seconds to spare and completely out of breath. Thanks to Sebastian's unwelcome intrusion of her daily routine, she had to run to class. Mr. Clark shot her a strange look, but didn't say anything as she took her seat near Jace and Maia. Maia waved her a quick hello as Mr. Clark started taking attendance, but Jace just ignored her, scribbling something on a sheet of paper.

After Clary confirmed to Mr. Clark that she was indeed here, the paper that Jace was writing on earlier landed on her desk. She unfolded the paper to see a single sentence written in a neat, flowy script: _I forgot to tell you something earlier, it's very important._

**P.S: You guys should check out my Infernal Devices oneshot! It's called Mr. Brightside and is a songfic to the song by the Killers.**


	11. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Clary is in italics. Jace is in bold. Sorry the chapter is so short. Only three days left until the wedding and things are starting to get chaotic.**

Clary read Jace's note and then dug around in her bag for a pen. She found her favorite Bic with green ink, and scribbled down her response in disastrous chicken scratch under Jace's neat words.

_What is it? Is this about what we talked about this morning? _

**No, we can talk about that later. This is about you. I just needed to warn you that Sebastian Verlac is trouble. He straight up told me that he planned on breaking YOUR heart. You should stay away from him**.

Wow. So not only was Jace being nice to her, but he was protecting her too. Clary just couldn't believe it. But did he really think she'd stoop low enough to go out with a guy like Sebastian?

_Do you really think I'd be dumb enough to go out with him Jace. The guy is a total tool. I don't know why you even hang out with him. He asked me out this morning and didn't give me a chance to turn him down. He'll probably be at our house at seven tomorrow night. Who asks a girl out on a Wednesday night anyways?_

**I guess I'll be home tomorrow night at seven then.**

Clary did not need Jace to protect her. She could hold her own.

_I don't need you there, Jace. I can handle Verlac. I don't need a knight in shining armor._

**Its my house too now Clary, I can be there if I want to.**

Sighing in frustration at Jace's stubborn attitude, Clary crumbled up their messages and tried to pay attention to Mr. Clark.

Clary had second hour with both Jace and Simon. Simon sat right in front of Clary because Mrs. Carrol had arranged the desks in alphabetical order. It was an independent art class where you turned in a project every Friday. Clary had so many pieces already done at home, so she just sat and talked to Simon all hour, who planned on turning in some of Clary's elementary school projects. He had no skills whatsoever when it came to art.

"So Clary how's living with Golden Boy?" Simon asked her.

"Surprisingly great," she told him, expecting the flabbergasted expression on Simon's face.

"What do you mean Clary? I thought you two hated each other."

"We did, but after our trip to the hospital, the hate disappeared from his eyes, we still fight, but there's no malice behind it. Its so weird, but I'm not going to complain about it. He's even being super protective of me."

"Wow Clary, that's great, but are you sure it isn't some kind of plot of his to hurt you?"

"I'm sure Simon, you can't intentionally wipe something like hate out of your eyes."

"Okay, well just be careful."

"I'm always careful Simon. Oh yeah, that reminds me, Sebastian Verlac told me I was going to go out with him tomorrow night."

"Sebastian Verlac, that guy is an ass. You aren't thinking about it are you?"

"Simon, do you think I'm dumb or something too? Of course I'm not thinking about it. He didn't even give me a chance to answer, so I'm guessing he's just going to show up at my house to find an obstinate Clary and a very angry Jace."

"What do you mean an angry Jace?"

"Remember how I told you Jace was being super protective? Apparently, Sebastian told Jace that he planned on breaking my heart, and it pissed Jace off. He told me he'd be there to meet Sebastian at the door. I don't know if he's trying to play the protective big brother, or if he's trying to make up for being so awful to me for all of those years…." And then the bell rang, signaling the end of Clary's favorite class.


	12. Author's Note: Updates

**Hey guys! The wedding was a blast, and all of the hard work definitely paid off. In my family weddings are one, big, week long party, and I haven't been able to write at all. I'm leaving to go play softball with the rest of the bridal party in a couple of minutes, and have church camp all of next week. Don't expect an update on either of my stories until next Monday, but know that I refuse to give up on either of them. Not being able to write really sucks, but I'm trying as hard as I can. After camp is over, things will slow down, and I'll probably be able to provide daily updates again. I love you guys! Go check out my new story Operation Chocolate too! It's a crossover between TMI and TID.**


	13. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Well, camp was a lot of fun but I didn't get home until late Monday night so I couldn't update then, and my sister is sick so my parents let her use the computer ALL DAY yesterday. That's why I'm updating so late but I'm sure you don't want to hear my lame excuses. On to the story.**

Clary had lunch right after second hour, which was ridiculous, but it was her favorite time of the day because she got to see Simon and Isabelle at the same time. On her way to their usual table, Clary scanned the lunchroom to see Jace and Sebastian sitting at the jock table, sitting farther apart than they usually did. Which she would have thought odd if it weren't for the conversation she had had earlier with Jace. He really did care about her now, enough to distance himself from his best friend. Instead, Jace was sitting next to Isabelle's brother Alec who was usually quiet. Alec was a great kid, and had always been nice to Clary, but had never really had any friends. Clary smiled as she saw Jace trying to initiate a conversation with the shy, dark haired, blue-eyed boy.

"Clary!" Isabelle squealed as Clary took her seat at their lunch table. "Simon tole me you and Jace were getting along? I want details!"

"The malice and hate is gone Izzy. He's being kind, and even protective. I have no idea what happened, or why he's had a change of heart, but I'm not going to complain," Clary told her best friend.

"That's not details," Izzy complained, "I want to know how he was kind, how he was protective."

"Well, he carried me to bed after the hospital, brought me food, and even cooked me breakfast this morning. That's how he was kind. Sebastian told Jace he wanted to break my heart and then Sebastian asked me out this morning. Jace got all angry and told me he'd be there when Sebastian came to pick me up," Clary explained more thoroughly this time. Well, she thought she had.

"What? You agreed to date with a tool like Sebastian?" Izzy asked, her voice growing louder. People were starting to pay extra attention to their table. Izzy was about to open her mouth again, no doubt to lecture Clary, when Simon put his hand over his girlfriend's mouth.

"Isabelle, calm down. Clary didn't agree to anything. Sebastian didn't give her a choice. He just told her that he'd be at her house tomorrow night at seven. I'm actually glad Jace is going to be there," Simon explained quietly, being the only one who could calm Isabelle down.

"What do you mean Simon? You're glad he's going to be there? I can take care of myself. I don't need a knight in shining armor." Clary exclaimed, angry.

"I don't doubt that at all Dorothy," a voice came from behind her, as Jace and Alec plopped down at her table, "I just don't think you know what Sebastian is capable of. He doesn't get rejected often but when he does, it isn't pretty. I once saw him attack our basketball coach for not putting him in the starting line up. Maybe you don't need a knight in shining armor, but every warrior princess needs a shield. Let me be your shield, that you'll only draw if necessary," Jace finished.

"Did he really attack the coach?" Isabelle asked, astonished.

"I saw it myself," Alec said, backing Jace up.

"Okay Jace, you can be my backup shield. Thank you for being concerned with my safety," Clary said, looking into Jace's eyes, finding the usual hate replaced with compassion.

"Of course Clary. Your dad dropped your car off here a couple of hours ago, since I won't be attending football practice for awhile, do you think you could give me a ride home?" Jace asked.

"Anytime," Clary told him with a smile.

"Holy crap, its like the Twilight Zone!" Simon explained looking between Jace and Clary.

"I wasn't lying Simon," Clary told him.

"I believed you Clary, but that doesn't make this," he gestured between the two of them, "any less weird."

"Well, get used to it rat boy because Clary and I are cool now. Aren't we Clary?" he said, throwing an arm across her shoulders. She didn't know why, but having him this close made her heart beat faster. Brushing it off as shock from his change of heart, Clary answered him.

"Yep, totally cool, as long as you're nice to Simon. You can't call him rat boy,"

"Please?" Jace turned toward her, and stuck his lip out, giving her his puppy dog eyes, which were actually a lot more attractive than cute, but she wasn't falling for it.

"No, Simon is my best friend. If you aren't cool with him, you'll never be cool with me," Clary told him sternly, trying her best not to notice how hot he looked with his lip out, and his eyes going big.

"Alright," Jace said defeated, "I'll be nice to rat…. I mean Simon."

"Thank you," Clary told him, smirking as the bell rang.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The school day was over and Clary was sitting in her car waiting for Jace. School had been out for twenty minutes now, and she was starting to get nervous. Did something happen with his concussion? Did he forget about her and catch a ride home with one of his fangirls? Just as she was dialing his number for the second time, she heard a knock on the passenger side window. Looking up, she was surprised to see Jace with a bloody nose, and bloodstained cast. Unlocking the door, she let him in.

"Oh my gosh Jace! What happened to you?" She asked, while handing him some tissues to stop the blood flowing from his nose.

"Sebastian happened, but you should see how he looks," Jace told her, accepting the tissues and holding them to his nose.

"Oh! You two didn't fight did you?"

"Yeah we did."

"Why?"

"He said something pretty nasty about you, and what he planned to do to you. I punched him in the face, he hit me back, and then I knocked him unconscious. Jordan and Bat are taking him home. They both had my side, they think you're pretty cool Clary ,and didn't think anything he was saying was funny."

"I've never even talked to Bat and Jordan before. Why would they take my side against their friend?"

"Whether you know it or not Clary, people do notice you. You're pretty, and kind, funny, and absolutely phenomenal at art. None of that goes unnoticed. People you've never talked to at this school admire and care about you"

"Really, people notice that stuff?"

"Yes, Clary, they do."

"Well thanks Jace, for defending me. You must be pretty strong to knock a guy out with a broken arm."

"Yeah, I am," Jace said smugly, a smirk appearing on his face, ruining the moment "You want to feel these guns?" he asked, flexing.

"No thanks hotshot. Let's get home and get you cleaned up." Clary smiled and pulled out of the school parking lot.

**I think this might be my longest chapter. What do you guys think? I love reading your reviews, so keep it up!**


	14. Chapter 11

**Once again, I am so sorry for the late update. Things have been much more chaotic than I expected, and for that I apologize. Don't think I'll give up on this story though. I wouldn't do that to you guys. Thank you so much for supporting me. I love your reviews! As for longer chapters, that's not going to happen unless you guys want to wait even longer for updates. Sorry! I'm trying the best I can.**

Jace and Clary arrived at the house 15 minutes later. Clary rushed for the medical cabinet, as Jace lay down on his bed. Clary arrived in their room a few minutes later with some Motrin, an ice pack, and a cold wet rag, and a glass of water.

"Here Jace, you'll be good as new." Clary said, placing the items on his nightstand.

"What? You're not going to dress up in a nurse's outfit and give me a sponge bath?" Jace asked, smirking with a wicked glint in his eyes.

"Nope, you're a big boy Jace. Take care of yourself," Clary told him, attempting, but failing, not to blush.

"Will you at least put the outfit on?"

"What makes you think I have one?" Clary asked him, sitting on her bed, and pulling out a book to hide her reddening face.

"I was just really hoping," Jace told her, still smirking like a falling angel.

"Sorry to disappoint you Jace, but I don't own any sexy costumes." Clary told him, her book still hiding her face.

"I don't doubt that at all, Miss Goodie Goodie. Although, Halloween is right around the corner. I'm sure we could find one at the store," Jace looked at her, seeing the book instead of her face. "How interesting is the instruction manual for your radio, Clary?"

"What, oh….? Clary stammered, realizing she'd been caught, as her face turned an impossible shade of scarlet. Jace just chuckled, and took the book out of her hands, realizing that he found Clary very attractive when she blushed. Attractive? She was just now starting to trust him. He couldn't have thoughts like that.

"Clary, is it too hot in here or something? You're face looks like a tomato." Clary saw this as a way out of embarrassment and took off her hoodie, revealing a plain black cami, which Jace both noticed and appreciated.

"Yeah, it is. I'm going to go open up a few windows," Clary said, and left the room. Jace watched her leave, understanding why Sebastian was after Clary. She really was very pretty, with her flaming red hair, startling green eyes, and porcelain skin. She was tiny, but feisty, and he appreciated that about her. How hadn't he seen it before? Clary was a knockout.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Clary left her and Jace's bedroom feeling extremely embarrassed. How had Jace managed to make her blush so bad? Sure, she blushed easily, but this was different. Every inch of her skin matched the color of a fire engine. Now that Jace wasn't an ass, she could appreciate his physical appearance without wanting to puke. He was probably the hottest guy she had ever seen, and was asking her to give him a sponge bath. He was kidding, and she had way more dignity than that, but the image still set her skin on fire. Oh no, she was totally attracted to her stepbrother. Not crushing, because she still wasn't sure if she trusted him, but she couldn't deny that she thought he was super hot, and incredibly charming. Now Clary knew why girls drooled over him all the time. But she refused to be like those bumbling bimbos. No, she wouldn't let Jace affect her like he just had again. Just because he was being nicer to her now, didn't mean that his ego had shrunk at all, and she refused to enlarge it by ogling him, and turning red whenever he turned on his ridiculously affective charm. No, Clary wasn't going to fall prey to the great Jace Wayland, she absolutely refused.

**Sorry for the short chapter. I just didn't know where else to go with it. If I can, I will update tomorrow. Look for an update on Operation Chocolate tonight.**


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